Ahmedabad, Apr 8: The Congress top brass on Tuesday began deliberations at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Memorial here to chalk out the party’s roadmap for upcoming assembly polls and organisational reforms, including giving more powers to the district units.
Ahead of the AICC session, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, and senior leaders discussed the party’s future roadmap, key national issues, organisational strengthening and preparations for upcoming polls at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the highest decision-making body of the party.
An extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting was attended by its members, permanent and special invitees, Pradesh Congress Committee presidents, Congress parliamentary party leaders, council leaders, Central Election Committee (CEC) members, office-bearers of Congress parliamentary party office, former chief ministers and deputy chief ministers.
Around 170 people are attending the meeting.
Sources said the CWC is likely to deliberate on the resolutions to be passed at the session, and a decision to grant more powers to the district Congress committees will be taken at the meeting.
It is also expected to decide on a slew of measures regarding its organisational rejuvenation, which the party chief has hinted at several meetings in the recent past.
Top Congress leaders K C Venugopal, Kamal Nath, Bhupesh Baghel, Mukul Wasnik, Ajay Maken, Ashok Gehlot, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Surjewala, besides party chief ministers Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar, Revanth Reddy, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and his deputy Mukesh Agnihotri were present at the meeting.
Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil was also present at the meeting, among other PCC chiefs.
The CWC meeting comes soon after Kharge and Rahul Gandhi held meetings with DCC chiefs at Delhi and sought their views.
The party also discussed and will give final shape to its strategy for the upcoming assembly polls this year and the next year.
The grand old party has announced that the Ahmedabad Session will be themed “Nyaypath: Sankalp, Samarpan aur Sangharsh”, with more that 1,700 elected and co-opted AICC members attending the main conclave on April 9 on the banks of the Sabarmati river between the Sabarmati Ashram and Kochrab Ashram.
The CWC will also give final shape to the resolution expected to be passed at the AICC session on Wednesday.
The Congress had set up a drafting committee of top leaders for the session, which has given shape to the resolution.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s party presidency and the 150th birth anniversary of Patel, both iconic figures born in Gujarat.
The Congress has had a historical connection with Gujarat as its stalwarts, Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel, hailed from there and the party has held five of its sessions in the state.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Ahmedabad is the party’s sixth in the state and the second post Independence. It will also be the Congress’ third session in Ahmedabad since its formation in 1885. (PTI)
